Sarcasm and Secrets
by TumblingTroublesomeTumbleweeds
Summary: Brainiac 5 leaves the Legion and goes to a Superhero Rehabilitation House. What happens when he falls for the landlady's gorgeous orphaned niece with a genius IQ, sarcastic personality and a sad history? Throw in her crushing cousin for good measure.
1. Ma's Superhero Rehab Center

"This is the place I suppose" he said to himself, magenta eyes scanning the white business card Invisible Kid had given him "Ma's Superhero Rehabilitation Home" it read. His eyes flicking up to the very big, very long, blue and white farmhouse, walking up to the door he raised a fist to knock but the door flew open.

He blinked his eyes as he was met with a small, slender figure with fine, light blonde hair falling about her shoulders. "You must be the new guy" she said her voice as light as she was "we've been expecting you". She smiled at him and he noticed her eyes were a brilliant sapphire-blue rimmed with long eyelashes so fine they were invisible. She only came up to his chin and she looked as if a heavy wind could blow her away. She was wearing a lavender flowered top with a flowing white skirt

"MAAA! HE'S HERE!" she shouted down a long hallway. Moments later a large, busy-looking woman with steel-gray curls pulled into a loose bun at the nape of her neck appeared "oh good!" she smiled at him. He realized her twinkling blue eyes were exactly the shade as her daughter's. "You must be Brainiac 5" she smiled warmly "come in. Annabelle will get you something to eat if you're hungry". Brainiac smiled "no that won't be necessary thank you". The woman smiled "that's quite alright. I'm Della, Della Frostwood. You can call me Ma, Ma Frostwood even Della will do" she never seemed to stop smiling "Annabelle will show you to your room then, and…Annabelle, where's your cousin?" she asked looking around. "She's in her room. I'll go get her" she volunteered.

At a nod from Ma she went up the stairs. Ma sighed "my niece is a hard worker, loyal to a fault but unfortunately not very friendly at first. Understandable considering what happened to her and her family…" she trailed off and shook her head as footsteps sounded.

Annabelle appeared followed by another girl who looked to be around Annabelle's age. Brainiac caught sight of her and his breath caught in his throat. He was suddenly flooded with an unfamiliar slew of emotions. She stepped off the stairs and stood next to Ma. "Brainiac this is my niece: Damiana.

He had thought Annabelle was pretty but Damiana was breath-taking, as dark as her cousin was fair. Tall and willowy with thick, dark-red curls that fell just above her elbows. Her almond-shaped eyes were rimmed with long, thick dark lashes and were striking shade of violet. She had full lips and her face was moderately freckled and she looked strong. She wore light-wash jeans and a tight, v-necked dark-green shirt with a large flower going up the side. Brainiac noticed she was well-endowed and he caught sight of the beginning of a puckered scar at her collarbone.

He realized he had been staring. Damiana smirked but the other two didn't realize or pretended not to notice."Dami, this is our new guest Brainiac 5" Ma said cheerfully. Damiana stepped forward with an easy grace "charmed" she said her deep, sultry voice tinged with sarcasm but she smiled friendly enough.

Turning to Ma she spoke "Aunt, Gabriel's coming to pick me up in an hour is that okay?" he wondered what emotion made his chest tighten up when she mentioned Gabriel. Ma nodded "of course. Where are the two of you going?" Damiana tensed for such a fleeting moment only Brainiac caught it. "The library" she said smoothly but Brainiac knew she was lying between her teeth "we have a science project". She smiled innocently.

Ma seemed pleased with her answer. Brainiac felt eyes on him, looking around he caught sight of Annabelle watching him. She blushed prettily and glanced down when he caught her looking at him. He glanced back at Damiana who was watching the pair with an amused smirk playing across her gorgeous features _damn she didn't miss anything _he thought impressed.

"Dami, before you leave can you get the wood from the backyard?" Ma asked. Damiana nodded and headed down the hall. "Annabelle can give you a tour if you'd like" she said and Annabelle blushed. "I'd rather go to my room if you don't mind" he said and noticed Annabelle looked disappointed "maybe later?" he smiled at her. Blushing again she nodded "I-I can show you to it if you'd like" she said in her sweet, light voice. Brainiac smiled warmly "sure" he followed her down the hall.

Later, he was lying on his bed mulling over everything that had transpired "what now?" he wondered. Before he fell asleep a pair of almond-shaped violet eyes found their way into his head


	2. A Rival

THUMP, crunch, crunch, SNAP…"OUCH!"

Brainiac awoke with a start. _What on earth was that_ he wondered walking over to the window, he pulled back the shade. He caught sight of a struggling figure dressed in black and covered in branches from the weeping willow. The figure looked up and glared at him. The figure was quite obviously a girl but he couldn't make out her features. He gasped as she spread a massive pair of wings and took off into the night sky.

The next morning Brainiac woke wondering whether he had dreamed the whole thing. He went to the kitchen where he smelled something delicious cooking. A very cheerful Annabelle was setting the table and a very tired looking Damiana was cooking breakfast. Neither of them noticed he was standing there. Annabelle looked quite pretty today. She was wearing a pale blue and pink flowing skirt with a dark blue peasant-shirt. Damiana, looked gorgeous as always even though she was still in her pajamas which were light blue flannel pants with owls on them and a light blue tank top, her red curls were pulled into a loose, high ponytail. He also noticed Damiana had scratches up and down her arms. He was enjoying his few minutes of observation before they realized he was standing there.

Damiana was the first to notice. She turned to go to the sink and grimaced as she did so. Catching sight of him her eyes narrowed and she consciously rubbed one of her scratches. In the next moment her whole demeanor had changed as if someone had flicked a light switch. "Just in time then" she smiled "Anna, I'm going to run and get Auntie" she turned to Annabelle who suddenly became flustered at the sight of Brainiac hastily nodded. Damiana hurried off wincing every now and then

Brainiac decided to try and get Annabelle to open up "hey" he smiled at her. Annabelle flushed a pretty shade of pink "h-hey" she said and went back to setting the table with shaking hands. "What did she make?" he tried again "eggs, bacon and toast" Annabelle said and clammed up. They went on like this for another 30 minutes, with Brainiac prodding and Annabelle was answering only enough to respond politely to his question.

"Are you harassing my poor cousin?" a cheerful voice sounded. Damiana reentered the kitchen. Her hair was down and she now wore dark jeans and a long sleeved purple shirt which read "HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE TESTED ON?" on it in rainbow letters. It had a picture of a little white mouse holding the bars of a cage.

The redhead moved to stand by her cousin, her normal easy, loping grace was replaced with a limp. She flashed him a brilliant smile that melted his insides. "Anna, she's coming in a few" she said to her cousin and limped over to the stove. Brainiac couldn't help but stare. "Good morning dears" a sweet voice said as Ma entered "mm smells good! Dami, you're such a good cook just like your mother was" Damiana smiled sardonically "just like my mother" she said in a funny tone and turned away but not before Brainiac caught the flash of pain in her eyes. "So!" she said in an overly-cheerful voice "let's eat".

Throughout the meal Annabelle stared at him. Damiana lounged in her chair, her easy grace apparent, silently observing everything. When the meal was over Annabelle cleared dishes and Damiana wiped down. Annabelle announced she was going to take a shower and disappeared and Ma wandered off to take care of office problems. Eventually it was down to Damiana and Brainiac. Brainiac went to pick up a towel at the same time Damiana did. They bumped hands and Damiana pulled back embarrassed and oddly flustered "my apologies" she said trying to regain her composure. Brainiac opened his mouth to try and break the awkward silence when the doorbell rang. Damiana, looking relieved, excused herself to answer the door.

Brainiac was mulling over the few, fleeting moments between them when he heard a deep voice "…and I was told this was the place" Damiana answered in dulcet tones "well, you've come to the right place. I can take you to Ma. I'm just the niece" he could hear the smirk in her voice. The other voice gave a low chuckle and said something that caused Damiana to laugh. A beautiful, clear sounding noise that made Brainiac's heart hurt. Damiana replied "not THAT pretty" and the deep voice said something else "I'll take you to Ma" he heard a clunk and Damiana say "oh, watch your head. This house is big but the door isn't!"

Peeking around the corner of the kitchen he caught sight of Damiana leading a massively built man with shoulder length, light brown hair. "You said your name was Gim, right? Gim Allon?" the man, Gim nodded his head "that's me…I also go by Colossal Boy. I didn't catch your name" Brainiac could see Damiana smirk "I'm Damiana, Damiana Frostwood. I'm the niece to Ma Frostwood." Colossal Boy smiled "Damiana, that's a very pretty name. It fits you well" Damiana smirked "watch it. Flattery gets you nowhere" she teased. Colossal Boy laughed; a sound that caused Brainiac to grit his teeth. He didn't appreciate Colossal Boy showing attention to Damiana.

Their laughter drifted down the hall and his insides boiled…

AN: Ook…I know Brainiac is OOC buuuut he's a human now, what do you expect? xD


	3. Cousins Talk

Brushing her teeth was when Damiana did most of her best thinking; it was one of her quirks. Right now she was thinking about the past few days. Her mind was in turmoil. She was finally sorting out her feelings towards the first one when the other one showed up. She appreciated the fact that the blond one…Brainiac…wasn't trying to impress her or flirting with her or her cousin. He wasn't the overly-macho type that most of the superheroes who came through here were. He knew boundaries, he was quiet and he minded his own business and she liked that but the second one…Gim…she found his attitude intriguing. Sure all the others were like him but there was something different about him. Normally she disliked the type of guy like him: mister macho-man, flirty and so self-assured it made her sick. Gim was different, he wasn't as self-assured and cocky as most. His flirtatiousness stayed in the boundaries of good-natured friendship. In fact, the pair had grown fairly close. He reminded her of her best friend Gabriel.

Thoughts swirled around her head when suddenly a sharp pain went through her jaw. She yelped and yanked the toothbrush out. Dread settled in her as she realized what the pain might mean. Damiana poked around her mouth and hit the same spot, wincing as the pain went through. Opening her mouth wide she examined her teeth she couldn't find anything but she thought, crap, a cavity. Damiana groaned, just what she needed. "Are you all right?" a light voice came from the bathroom door. Damiana turned to see Annabelle looking at her worriedly "I heard you scream". Damiana smiled "yeah…I discovered I have a cavity…I think." Annabelle looked more worried "let me see" Damiana obediently opened her mouth and Annabelle peered in "I don't see one…although it looks like your gum is bruised" she said.

Damiana shut her mouth gingerly "I'll make a dentists appointment". Annabelle nodded but stayed next to her cousin. Damiana continued getting ready for bed "do you need something else?" Damiana asked her cousin. Annabelle shook her head "just wanted to talk. Like we did when we were little and shared a room" Damiana laughed "we still share a room silly". Annabelle giggled "yeah we do but it's different" "how so?" "well, for one thing we rarely ever talk anymore". Damiana opened her mouth to protest but Annabelle cut her off "I mean about our lives and feelings. I miss it" Damiana smiled "I miss it too".

Annabelle smiled back "what's your opinion on the new superhero?" "which one?" "Brainiac…" Damiana smiled knowingly "well I know for one thing you like him" Annabelle blushed "is it that obvious?" she asked embarrassed. Damiana smiled "kind of. I doubt he notices if that's what you're worried about" Annabelle looked relieved "I think he's very different from the others" Damiana continued. Annabelle nodded her head in agreement "I really like him. Maybe that's why" Annabelle suddenly looked mischievous "Gim likes you" she said. Damiana rolled her eyes "he's always like that" she said dismissively but Annabelle shook her head "it's in the way he looks at you" she said starry eyed "I wish someone would look at me that way"

Damiana looked at her cousin strangely. Annabelle continued "I've always imagined that when I meet my true love we'll both know it" Damiana smiled at her cousin "that's sweet" she said amused "I've never actually thought about it…I always figured I'd be too independent to ever fall in love" Annabelle's eyes widened "never fall in love?" she said shocked "but that's impossible. Everyone falls in love". Damiana smiled "not me. I'm perfectly happy on my own. I have family, friends and pets what more could I ask for? I don't need a guy to complete my life, it's pretty complete"

Annabelle nodded solemnly "I always figured you'd end up not wanting to fall in love. Guys are always falling for you it must get annoying" Damiana eyed her cousin thoughtfully "they're only interested in me because they think they'll get closer to you" she ran a hand through her hair "I'm not NEAR as pretty as you are. My hair's unruly, my chest is too big, I have no butt or hips and my eyes are too close together". Annabelle gasped "no way! You're gorgeous! Look at you" she turned Damiana to the mirror

Damiana smiled gently at her cousin and lifted up her tank top to reveal a long, white, puckered scar running from her right breast across her left shoulder and down her back ending at her right hip "besides, what guy could get past my hideously marring scar?" Annabelle stayed quiet, it was indeed quite ugly "but it's not your fault you have it" Annabelle told her. Damiana smiled bitterly "don't remind me" pulling her shirt back down, she finished getting ready for bed and talking to her cousin.

The pair walked down the hall to their bedroom. Each girl climbed into her bed. Annabelle pulled the black-out curtain around hers because Damiana stayed up late and Annabelle couldn't sleep with lights on. Before she pulled her curtain around Annabelle said sleepily "Dami?" "mmm?" "good night" Damiana smiled "good night".


	4. Falling

Damiana rose early. She liked to climb up the apple tree in the backyard and watch the sun rise. She padded over to the mirror. Taking off her tank top she turned around and sighed. So many painful memories were attached to that scar. She dressed and silently left the room. Creeping down the stairs she slipped over to the sliding door. She didn't see the figure on the couch that rose and followed her into the still dark night.

Damiana wondered whether she should fly up or climb. She decided to climb. On the third branch up she heard a rustle. She froze, an owl flew out from above she sighed in relief and continued her climb to her favorite branch. Settling, she looked at her watch. There was still 45 minutes until the sun rose. She yawned, her eyes growing heavy…her dreams a collection of disjointed memories…

_Screaming rang through Damiana's ears and her heart was pounding as the 13 year old raced up the steps to her house. She burst open the door and came face to face with her little sister Alessandra and little brother Lucas. She cried at the sight of the 5 and 7 year olds blank eyes and red curls matted with blood. The door burst open again and in entered a handsome dark-haired boy of about 14 or 15. He flew over to Damiana and flung his arms around her. She sobbed into his arms "Gabriel I'm scared. I don't want to go upstairs" Gabriel's dark eyes flicked to the stairs. "I'll be with you the whole time" he said and she nodded. Holding tight to his arm, the pair made their way up the stairs. They opened the door to her two older brothers' rooms and found each one of them. She made her way to her twin brother's room, he wasn't in there he was nowhere to be found. Finally they ended up in her parents' room. They caught sight of Damiana's mother and father but the next second everything went dark…_

_She woke up in a cage her head was pounding. Looking around, she caught sight of a familiar mop of dark hair in a cage next to her. She reached her hand through the bars of her cage into Gabriel's and attempted to shake him awake. Suddenly the door opened and she pulled her hand back in. There was a scuffling noise and then a bruised and bloody person was slammed into the empty cage next to hers. The person groaned and shifted. Damiana gasped at the sight of a pair of massive wings. She gasped again when she realized who the person was. He caught sight of her and the part of his face that wasn't bruised paled "I wish you had died with everybody else" he gasped through a swollen lip "you'd have been better off". Damiana looked at her twin brother in horror…_

Bits of dreams flashed through her brain

_She woke up, her back was aching horribly. She went to rub it…what on earth? She winced as she felt a protrusion, with effort she grabbed the large feathery appendage and pulled it. Pain shot up her back and she screamed…she had wings! What had they done to her?…_

_Learning how to use her wings…_

_The three of them battling for their freedom…guards of half-breeds, humans with giant claws and fangs, she was about to fly away when one slashed her he scratched the first time from her left shoulder blade to her right breast she jumped in pain and began fighting. His claw caught the mark, he dug in and gouged across her back beginning where he ended the first time. She screamed in pain…_

_Being flown by Gabriel, bleeding and in pain…_

_Being nursed back to health by her aunt and cousin…_

_Staring at her scar for hours wishing it, like her wings, was retractable…_

_A pair of magenta eyes looking at her…_

Damiana snapped awake as her watch went off. _I must've fallen asleep _she thought. Her back throbbed and she shook herself. "You're finally awake" a voice said. Damiana gasped in shock and turned sharply to see who spoke, forgetting she was on a tree branch; she fell. A hand grabbed her wrist and she was dangling 20 feet above the ground her heart hammering. Feeling the other hand slipping she grabbed a branch in fear. Another hand reached down and a voice said "give me your hand".

Damiana swallowed and mustered up the courage to take her hand from the branch. For the second she was dangling her heart went to her throat but she thrust her hand up and it was caught almost immediately by the other hand. Despite the fear coursing through her the ever observant Damiana noticed the long, slender fingers holding her hands were a shade of green. Suspicion replaced the fear in her. When she felt herself being pulled into the leafy branches she forgot her suspicion.

Her shirt snagged a branch and she winced as the sharp prong dug into her skin. Next thing she felt herself being yanked up. The branch scratched her skin. She let out a sharp breath as she flew into the arms of her rescuer. Trying not to shake but failing she looked into a pair of magenta eyes. Damiana pulled away sharply, nearly losing her balance again and grabbing onto his shoulders for support. She doubled over holding her middle, the pain from where the branch scratched her stomach hitting her. Brainiac put his arms around the redhead and held her. "I'll get us down" he said. Holding tight to Damiana he jumped off the tree branch. Damiana involuntarily screamed. A second later, then they were on the ground.

Damiana was shaking. Brainiac, unsure of what to do, awkwardly put his arms around her. Damiana stiffened and pulled away. He looked her over, how much she reminded him of Nightwing! Full lips, red hair, she was almost as gorgeous as Nightwing was too. His stomach flipped as he thought about the Altan but a gasp from Damiana drew him back. The girl was staring past him. Brainiac turned and caught sight of a handsome, well-built boy of about 20 with dark hair and dark eyes. He ran forward and wrapped the redhead in his arms. "Dami, are you okay?" he asked her "I'm fine Gabe, don't worry" the boy turned accusingly to Brainiac "what did you do to her?" he demanded angrily.

"Gabriel" Damiana snapped "cool it. He saved me". Gabriel relaxed "sorry man" he said turning to Brainiac "I just don't like people messing with her. I'm Gabriel" he said holding out his hand. Brainiac took it "I'm Brainiac" Gabriel turned to Damiana "he another one?" he asked and the red head nodded. "Cool" Gabriel smiled at him "as a superhero you're probably a good guy" Brainiac hesitated and Damiana sensed it. "He is" she told Gabriel all the while her eyes bored into his.


End file.
